Elevator



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Modeli) 11. ALBERT.

ELEVATOR. No. 355,114. Patented Dec. 28, 1886.

N. PETERS. filflo-Lflhognphnr. Washington. D. (l

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. ALBERT.

(No Model.)

ELEVATOR.

Patented Dec. 28,1886.

Q. PETERS, FhMo-Liliwgrnphur. wnhingmn. D C

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

H.IA LB,ERT.

ELEVATOR.

Patented Dec. 28

IIIIIIlIIIIIII/l N. FEEEI'KS, Pum uuw m hw. Wiahingtmv, n c.

45 1 provide for the construction of the racks D,

NITEDI STATES PATENT 0 rric.

HENRY ALBERT, OF CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA.

ELEVATOR.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 355,114, datedDecember 28, 1886.

(No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ALBERT, of Crescent City, Del Norte county,State of California, have invented an Improvement in Elevators; and Ihereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the same. f

My invention relates to the class of eleva tors, and particularly tothat class which are provided with safety appliances, of the generalcharacter of those illustrated by Letters Patent No. 331,269, issued tome December 1, 1885.

My invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the clutchmechanism, the brake mechanism, the safety-hatch, and means for lockingits sections, the buffers to receive the weight of the cage or car uponthe closed hatch, the means for operating the various parts upon thebreaking of the hoisting cable or rope, the guide-rollers, and variousother details, all of which I shall hereinafter fully describe.

The object of my invention is to provide effective safety appliances forelevator cages or cars.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanationof my invention, Figure 1 is an elevation showing the parts in position,the dotted lines indicating thespreading of the cam f and the locking ofthe hatch E. Fig. 2 is a plan of the closed hatch. Fig. 3 is adetailsection of the guide-rollers S. Fig. 4 is a side elevation showingthe clutches G thrown to their engagement. Fig. 5 is a bottom view. Fig.6 is a modified arrangement of the friction-brakes.

A is the cage or car, which travels in the shaft or well B, and isoperated by the cable or rope G. Theshaft or well need not be closelyboarded up, but may simply be pro vided with corner-ti1nbersb, for theimpingement of the frictional brake-shoes, hereinafter described, andthe timbers b on the two opposing sides, which said last-nanied timbersconsisting of horizontal parallel spaced bars secured to said sidetimbersl My elevator is intended to be used in connection with thetwo-part or sectional safetyhatch which has been heretofore secured tome by Letters Patent N 0. 285,097, dated September 18,1883, and whichwill herein need only such description and reference as may be necessaryto explain its connection with the present case.

E are the hatches, which are located in the well or shaft, and consistof two sections mounted on rollers and adapted to come together to closethe well or shaft by gravity or by other suitable means. They are forcedto separate or open by a V-shaped cam on the passing car or cage, saidcam being adapted to enter a small aperture, 6, made in the center ofthe hatch, and through which the hoistingrope 0 passes. In each sectionof the hatch is made the aperture 0.

F is the V-shaped cam by which the operation of the hatch is effected.This cam is secured to the cage or car A, and consists of an upper fixedportion, f. and a lower sectional and pivoted portion, f.

G are the clutch-levers, pivoted at 9 under the cage or car. They havehook-shaped or concave ends, the faces of which are accurately curved,adapting them to fit snugly on the bars of the rack. The shanks g of theclutch-levers extend" toward each other under the cage or car andoverlap, both being slotted upon a cross-pin, h, in the forked upper endor head, h, of the guide-spindle H, which passes down through thecross-piece I, further reference to which I shall hereinafter more fullymake. Springs 9 operate against the clutch-levers, their tendency beingto force them to their engagement.

Loosely fitted upon the spindle His a crosshead, J, which carries saidspindle bybearing up under its head. At each end of the crosshead aresecured the sliding connecting rods or bars j, passing up through theslotted ends of the clutch-levers and in grooves made on each side ofthe cage or car, and connected at their upper ends to the ends of across-head, K, which slides in slotted fixed guides k on. the top of thecar, and is connected to the lower end of a spindle, L, which passes upthrough the fixed cross-guide Z and into a seat or recess, f formed inthe top of the V -shaped cam f, and is connected with the hoisting cableor rope C. A spring, M, encircles the spindle,

and bears upon its lowerend and against the fixed cross-guide Z, so thatwhen the hoistingrope is under tension the spring remains in acompressed condition, but when the tension on said rope is relieved thespring forces downwardly the cross head K, and, through the slidingconnecting rods or bars j, forces downwardly the lower cross-head, J,thereby relieving the head of the lower spindle, H, which rests upon it,and permitting the clutch-levers G to be forced down by their ownsprings g, which have been heretofore mentioned.

When the tension is upon the rope O, the lower cross-head. is drawnupwardly, so that the spindle H is carried up and the shanks of theclutches are held in an approximately horizontal position, in whichtheir hooked ends are drawn inwardly out of reach of and contact withthe racks D in the shaft or well but when the rope O breaks the lowercrosshead falls down, assisted by the spring M above and the springs gof the clutch-levers below, whereby said levers themselves are thrown atan angle, their curved or hooked ends being turned outwardly and adaptedto engage the bars of the racks D, upon which they fit snugly andaccurately.

It is the design of the present invention to 7 provide for an emergencyin which the clutch- 0 f, in two sections, separable at their lower endsand pivoted at their upper ends, so that they may be made to convergewhen in a normal position for operating the hatch, and made to separatewhen required for the looking of the hatch to an approximately verticalposition. I accomplish this by means of the links N, which are pivotedto the sections of said cam at their outer ends, and are pivoted tobearings n on the lower cross-head, J, at their inner ends. When thelower cross-head is in its normal positionthat istto say, elevatedthelinks are drawn upwardly at an angle, whereby the sections of the camare drawn inwardly to their normal V shape; but

hatch are for the reception of the parts of the,

X cam when in this perpendicular position. It

will be seen, therefore, that when the cage falls the sections of thelower cam are ififmediately thrown outwardly, and have no tendency,

therefore, to open the hatch, but, on the contrary, by passing throughthe apertures e in said hatch absolutely look its sections and preventit from opening, so that the cage is stopped. Now, in order to ease thedescent of the cage before it strikes the hatch as well as to ease itwhen being caught by the clutch-levers, I have the following brakemechanism,which is operated by the spreading of the sections of thelower cam. The upper ends of the sections of said cam have for theirpivot-centers the rockshafts O, which are journaled in suitable bearingsunder the cage or car. The outer ends of these shafts carry blocks 0, towhich are socured, in suitable manner, the rubber brakeshoes 0,whichconsist of shanks or stems fitted to the under side of the blocks andheads fitted to their outer sides, as shown, or in any other suitablemanner. Now, when the sections of thelower cam are in their normalposition the rock-shafts are so turned as to carry their rubbers orshoes 0 within the planes of the sides of the car, and they donot comein contact with the corner-timbers of the well or shaft; but when thesections of the cam are separated the blocks 0 are thrown outwardly atan angle, and thus force their rubbers or shoes 0 into contact with thecorner-timbers b in such a manner that they will bind or cramp againstsaid timbers and serve to relieve the descent of the cage or car.

In order to break the fall of the cage as it comes in contact with thehatch, as well as to protect the other mechanism from injury, I havethefollowing buffer mechanism Under standards, P, which serve as guides forthe lower crosshead and its connections. The lower ends of these postsare hollowed or socketed out to receive the spindles q of the buffers Q.Above these spindles, and within the sockets of the posts, are springsq, and said spindles are guided in their seats by means of pins goperating in guide-slots in the posts. The buffers are provided withrubber faces, and are connected by the cross-piece I,which serves asaguide for the lower spindle, H. This spindle being centrally locatedpasses down when the cam-sections are thrown outwardly through thecenter aperture, e, of the hatch,andis thereforenotintheway,thusallowingthe cage to come down far enough so that its spring-buffers Q come incontact with the hatch and support the cage, while the spread sectionsof the cam lock said hatch. Upon the upper ends of the posts ofstandards P are bearing blocks R, against which the lower cross-bar, J,bears when elevated to its normal position, thereby,in connection withthe upper spindle seated in the recess of the fixed cam f, carrying theweight of the car or cage, and preventing any interference with theclutchlevers.

The rollers or guides for the traveling cage or car are arranged asfollows: They are des ignated by S, and areon the outside of two sidesof the cage, four being on each side. They operate against the edges ofthe rackthe cage or car are secured firmly four posts or rately guidethe cage.

timbers b,and said timbers have their edges convex, whereby the concaveperipheries of the rollers fit them perfectly, and thus accu- Theserollers are mounted on the spindles s, which are secured to or formedwith 'nuts 8, which are seated upon screws 8 mounted in blocks .9 whichmay be -readily set in the walls of the cage or car at suitable points,said screws being operated by hand-wheels s", which are reached throughapertures from the inside of the car. Set screws 8 or other devices arepassed through from the inside of the car and hold the nuts to theirplaces on the screws, whereby they may be adjusted. The operator fromthe inside of the car may, by turning the handwheel 8, adjust therollers 'properly to their guide-timbers, and in case of accident he mayset them up tightly enough to cause them to act as brakes.

, Now, by reference to Fig. 6 it will be seen how I can modify theseappliances to cases where the automatic hatches are not used, and where,consequently, the cam F is dispensed U with and reliance is placedsimply on the clutch-levers and the brakes. In this case the rock-shaftsO, which carrythe brake-rubbers, also form the pivot-shafts of theclutch-levers G. In other words, instead of pivoting said clutch-leversupon short pivots, as shown in the first instance, they are securedfirmly upon the rock-shafts O, and by the operation of the clutch-leversthe brakeshoes will be operated as before. 7

The complete operation of my machine is as follows: \Vhen the suspendingtension is upon the hoisting-cable G, the whole weight of the cage orcar is carried by the lower crosshead, J, bearing up under the blocks Ron the upper ends of the standards or posts P, and by the upper spindleagainst the top of the upper cam, f. The clutch-levers are withdrawn, asare also the friction-brakes 0, while the lower sectional cam, f, is inits normal V shape, and

the hatches are operated thereby as the cage or car passes them. Themovement of the car movement of the lower cross-head forces, by

is accurate, being guided by its rollers S, which, being adjustable fromwithin, place the proper and accurate guidance of the car fully withinthe control of the operator. Now, the hoisting rope. or cable breaks,and the cage or car starts to fall. Immediately all the parts drop bygravitation, hurried by the upper spring, M, assisted by the lowersprings, g", the former acting through the'upper cross-head, K, sidebars, j, and lower cross-head, J, to relieve the lower spindle, H, andthe latter,acting directly on the pivoted clutch-levers G, throws said1evers to such an angle that their outer ends immediately come to theirengagement with the racks D, whereby the cage or car is suspended. Atthe same time the downward means of the links N, the separation of theparts of the lowerV-shaped cam, f, the move ment of which rocks theshafts O and throws the brake-shoes 0 outwardly from each corner of thecage or car against the corner-timbershatch if the clutch engagementsare imperfect.

These sections, being now in a perpendicular position, pass directlydown through the apertures ein the hatch, and prevent its parts fromopening, and the hatch itself locks and holds the cam, so that theclutch-levers and the brakes are firmly locked in their severalengagements. The lower spindle, H, entering the center aperture, 6, ofthe hatch allows the spring buffers Q to come in contact therewith, andthus while the brake-shoes easethe motion the hatch effectually stopsthe cage. It will be seen that these several safety appliances operateindependently. If, for any reason, the clutches miss their racks, themovement of the remaining parts is not prevented, and the cam-sectionsand the brake-shoes are operated by the spring above, while theclutchlevers are operated by their own spring. This independence of theclutch levers provides also for their instantaneous engagement, as but asmall movement is required to throw them out, much less than is requiredto spread the'cam-sections. By havingthe connecting rods or bars j passon each side of the car or cage I avoid a central connection through thecar or cage, which may be objectionable. All the safety appliances areplaced upon the bottom of the car or cage, just where they'should be inorder to arrest its descent in case of accident.

The shape of the rubber shoes or brakes 0 is such that they bind orchoke between the.

car and the opposing surface, and the more the car is inclined todescend the better their action. Their position at the four corners ofthe cage or car is advantageous, in that they are not in the way andwill find permanent opposing frictional surfaces in the corner-timbers.Their operation against these timbers serves the additional purpose offully throwing the cam-sections to a perpendicular. The racks D, made ofthe cross bars or wires, as described,'permit the immediate andv fullengagement of the clutches, which would not be the case if a toothed ornotched rack were employed, although a toothed or notched rack can beused. Insteadof the separate springs g for operating the clutch-leversG, I may use a single spring around the lower spindle, H.

The sections of the lower cam should preferably be made integral withthe rock-shafts O, which carry the brake blocks and shoes.- By havingthe shaft or well of the elevator as little boarded as possible, draftsare avoided,

as it ceases to be a chimney, and is therefore less dangerous in case offire and not so dark, but lighter and pleasanter to ride in. It is alsoeconomical in construction.

The way the rack-timbers and their rods are I constructed gives a meansof escape from the.

' would afford a person an easy way of escape.

Thus it really is a fire-escape also.

Having described m yinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

1. Inan elevator, the pivoted clutch-levers G under the cage or car, forengaging racks in the sides of the elevator shaft or well, incombination with the means for holding said levers out'of engagementwhen the cage or car is operating normally, and allowing them to move totheir engagement upon the breaking ofthe hoisting rope or cable,consisting of the movable spindle L, to which the hoisting rope or cableis attached, the upper crosshead,K,secured to the spindle, the lowercrosshead, J, the side bars, j, connecting said crossheads, and thelower spindle, H, carried by the lower cross-head and connected with thepivoted clutch-levers, substantially as herein described.

2. In an elevator, the clutch-levers G, pivoted under the cage or carfor engaging racks in the sides of the elevator shaft or well, incombination with the means for holding said levers out of engagementwhen the cage or car upper portion, and the springs g, by which theclutch-levers are actuated, substantially a herein described.

3. In an elevator, the rock-shafts O, journaled under the cage or carand having on their outer ends the blocks 0, carrying the frictionalbrake-shoes 0 at each corner of said cage or car, in combination withthe sectional V-shaped cam f, secured to or formed with saidrock-shafts, and mechanism for spreading the sections of the cam uponthe breaking of the hoisting rope or cable, whereby the shafts arerocked to project or withdraw their shoes to or from contact with theopposing surfaces in the shaft or well, substantially as hereindescribed.

4. In an elevator,the rock-shafts O, journaled under the cage or car andhaving .on their ends the blocks 0, carrying the frictional brake-shoes0 at each corner of said cage or car, and the sectional V-shaped cam f",secured to said rock-shafts, in combination with the mechanism forspreading the sections of the cam, whereby the brake-shoes are throwninto contact with the opposing surfaces of the shaftor well, consistingof the spring-actuated upper spindle, L, to which the hoisting rope.

or cable is attached, the upper cross-head, K, the lower cross-head, J,and the side bars, 9', connectingthe two, and the links N, connectingthe parts of the sectional cam with the lower cross-head, substantiallyas herein described.

5. In an elevator, the pivoted clutch-levers G under the cage or car andadapted to engage racks in the wellor shaft, therock-shafts 0, journaled under said cage or car and having the blocks 0, carrying thefrictional brake-shoes 0 at each corner of said cage or car, and thesectional V-shaped cam f, secured to said rockshafts, in combinationwith the mechanism for simultaneously operating the clutch-leversconnected with the shanks of the pivoted clutch-levers, the springs g ofsaid levers,a.nd the links N, connecting the lower cross-head with theparts of the sectional cam,all arranged and adapted to operatesubstantially as herein described.

6. In an elevator, the rock-shafts O, carrying the blocks 0, withbrake-shoes 0' at each corner of the cage or car, in combination withthe clutchlevers G, secured to said shafts and adapted to engage racksin the sides ofthe well or shaft,and mechanism operated by the breakingof the hoisting rope or cable for operating the clutch-leversandbrake-shoes,substantiall y as herein described.

-7. In an elevator, the rock-shafts carrying the blocks 0, withfrictional brake-shoes 0 at each corner of the cage or car, and theclutch levers G, secured upon said rock-shafts and adapted to engageracks in the sides of the well or shaft, in combination with themechanism for operating said clutch-levers,whereby they engage saidracks and at the same time operate the frictional brake-shoes,consisting of the spring-actuated spindle L, to which the hoisting ropeor cable is attached, the'upper cross-head, K, the lower cross-head, J,and the side bars, j,connecting them,and the spindleH upon the lowercross-head, substantially as herein described.

8. In an elevator, the two part separable hatch E, closing the well orshaft and having apertures e, in combination with the sectional ortwo-part V-shaped cam f on the elevator cage or car, and mechanism forspreading said cam by the breaking of the hoisting rope or cable,whereby its sections may pass down through the apertures e in the hatchand lock said hatch, substantially as herein described. 9. In anelevator, the two-part separable hatch E, having apertures e, incombination with the rock-shaft 0 under the cage or car, having blocks0, carrying frictional brakeshoes 0, the sectional or two-part V-shapedcam f secured to said-rockshafts, and mech anism operated by thebreaking of the hoisting rope or cable for spreading the sections ofsaid cam, whereby the frictional brake shoes are thrown into contactwith the opposing surfaces of the shaft or well and the sections of thecam are forced to a perpendicular to pass through the apertures of thehatch and lock said hatch, substantially as herein described.

10. In an elevator, the pivoted clutch-levers G and the means foroperating them,consisting of the spring-actuated upper spindle, L, towhich the hoisting rope or cable is attached, the upper cross-head, K,the lower cross-head, J, the side bars, j, connecting them, and thespindle H, carried by the lower cross-head, in combination with theposts or standards P under the cage, the spring-buffers Q in said posts,and the cross-bar I, connecting the buffers and serving as a guide forthe lower spindle, H, substantially as. herein described.

11. In an elevator, the two-part separable hatch E, having sideapcrtures,e, in combination with the'traveling cage or car A, thesectional V-shaped cam f. upon the cage or car, andmechanism,substantially as described,for spreading its sections, wherebythey pass down through the apertures of the hatch and lock said hatch,the posts P on the under side of the cage or car, and the spring-buffersQ on the lower ends of said posts, adapted to come in contact with theclosed hatch and support the car or cage,substantially as hereindescribed.

12. In an elevator, the two-part separable hatch E, having sideaperture, 0, in combination with the traveling cage or car, A, therockshafts O, pivoted beneath it and having the frictional brake-shoes 0at each end, and the sectional V-shaped cam f,secured to the rockshaftsand adapted to be spread upon the breaking of the cable so as to passthrough the apertures e of the hatch and lock it, the fixed posts Punder the cage or car,and the spring-buffers Q in the posts for breakingthe shock when the cage or car falls upon the hatch, substantially asherein described. A

13. In an elevator, the two-part separable hatch E,provided with acentral aperture, e, for the passage of the hoisting-cable, and the sideapertures, e, as shown, in combination with the cage or car A, havingthe V-shapedcam F, for operating the hatch, the lower portion,f, of saidcam being sectional and adapted to be spread and to lock the hatch, asdescribed, the pivoted spring-actuated clutch-levers G, and the meansfor operating them, consisting of the spring-actuated upper spindle, L,the upper crosshead, K, the lower cross-head, J, the connecting sidebars, j, and the lower spindle, H, adjustably connected with theclutchlevers, and the links N, connecting the parts of the sectional camf with the lower cross-head, whereby said parts are spread, the fixedposts P,secured under the cage or car, the movable spring-buffers Q intheir lower ends, adapted to come in contact with the closed and lockedhatch, and the cross-bar I,uniting the buffers and forming a guide forthe spindle H, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially asherein described;

l ifiIn an elevator, thecage or car having the upper V-shaped cam, f,with a recess or seat, 7

the blocks R on the fixed posts, substantially as herein described.

15. In an elevator, the well or shaft B,having timbers b, and the cageor car A in said shaft or well, in combination with the antifrictionrollers S, the spindles 8, upon which they are mounted, said spindleshaving nuts s, the screws 3 upon which said nuts are mounted andadapted'to travel, the handwheels sflupon said screws and accessiblefrom a the inside of the cage or car, whereby they may be readilyoperated, and set-serewss, for holding said spindles in place where adjusted,substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

HENRY ALBERT.

Witnesses:

J AS E. MURPHY, W. H. WooDBURv.

